Buffalo Allies of Bozeman

Some of us in Buffalo Allies of Bozeman went over to the State Capitol building in Helena to support Buffalo Field Campaign's rally for the wild buffalo in and near Yellowstone National Park and to protest Governor Brian Schweitzer's part in the largest slaughter of wild buffalo than at any time since the 19th century.

This season to date 1,607 buffalo have been killed, according to Buffalo Field Campaign. As the killing continued, I joined a new group dedicated to providing support for the buffalo. One part of that mission is to provide solidarity to other groups with related missions. As a result, those in our group gladly support Buffalo Field Campaign; a few of us found the time to take the trip to Helena - a town I personally had never before been.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chris Klatt
406-599-3629
lodgepole@riseup.net
May 12, 2008

Buffalo Allies of Bozeman Is Founded to Take Action against the Slaughter and Hazing of Wild Buffalo
New group takes a grassroots approach toward advocacy of buffalo in the Yellowstone area.

(Bozeman, Mont.) – In a winter where more wild buffalo have been killed than at any time since the 19th century in and near Yellowstone National Park, concerned local residents in the Bozeman area have formed Buffalo Allies of Bozeman – a new grassroots group taking action on behalf of the American bison.

Buffalo Allies of Bozeman Meeting Notes
May 7, 2008 at 7 PM
Montana State University Student Union Building (2nd floor cafeteria – NW corner)

Facilitator: Jim
Attendees: 5

Introductions

Updates

Group discussed:

1. The bison trap at Horse Butte removal has been delayed.
2. The recent MT FWP facilitated IBM committee meeting.
3. BFC rally next Wednesday (5/14) 12pm to 2pm at the State Capitol in Helena. Organized a carpool for this, still have one available seat.
4. Invitation to the Bear Creek Council's next monthly meeting.

Reports From Working Groups

1. Media/Outreach: To post announcements use the listserve bab-announce@lists.riseup.net. For open discussion use the listserve bab-discuss@lists.riseup.net. The website is set up. The theme is set, but everything else is dynamic and be adjusted. All flyers and announcements are available on the website at http://www.buffaloallies.org. A flyering/informal meeting was set for Friday (5/9) at 4pm 302. S. 7th St, in order to advertise the upcoming BFC rally, BAB potluck, and weekly meeting schedule.

Today (April 16, 2008), I attended a prayer ceremony led by the Lakota elder, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, just outside the National Park Service's Stephens Creek Capture facility inside of Yellowstone National Park.

This winter, the buffalo in Yellowstone have suffered enormously, mostly at the hands of the government. To date, at least 1,598 buffalo have been killed, others have been sent to quarantine or are being held in capture facilities. Hundreds more have been dying from the harsh Yellowstone winter. This is a record number of killings. From a total of 4,700 buffalo counted in the fall, the number fell to 3,000 by the end of winter. Since then, at least another 400 have been killed.

This is a travesty, one that has been completely unnecessary. I'm not going to talk about why this is in fact a travesty; there are a million places where the sordid issues and non-issues have been sorted out. I have certainly written about it many times this winter; others have made what seems like a lifetime making the case against the slaughter of wild buffalo.

These are the highlights from the Buffalo Allies of Bozeman meeting on April 30, 2008

Where: MSU Student Union Building 2nd floor cafeteria, NW corner
Facilitator: Chris
Notekeeper: Jim
Participants: 5

Media/Outreach:

1. We decided to purchase the domain name http://www.buffaloallies.org to be the home of our new Web site.
2. We decided to host the new Web site on a server owned by a friend of Jim's at no cost, though we are donating a small sum of money.
3. We decided to create two listserves, a moderated announcement and an unmoderated discussion list (to join the announce, send blank email to bab-announce-subscribe@lists.riseup.net; to join discuss, send a blank email to bab-discuss-subscribe@lists.riseup.net).
4. We decided to give specific administrative and content decisions regarding Web and listserves over to the Media/Outreach working group, though any member may raise the issue and propose changes at any full meeting.
5. We decided to draft a press release for the group to review, amend, and approve at the next meeting. A draft will be posted to the listserve (discuss, if it is ready) before the next meeting.

This is the new site of Buffalo Allies of Bozeman (formerly at http://bozemanactivist.wordpress.com).

We are a a consensus-based grassroots organization in the Bozeman, Montana area focused on:

- stopping the slaughter and hazing of Yellowstone’s wild buffalo herds;

- promoting the expansion of free-roaming buffalo outside of Yellowstone National Park;

- conserving the natural habitat of the buffalo herds;

- allying with and giving solidarity to groups working on related missions; and,

- supporting a diversity of strategies and tactics to achieve the previous tenets of our mission.